Words
by mfg1994
Summary: Lori Weston returns to visit Five-0 and Steve learns the value of words. Sequel to "We Didn't Start the Fire."
1. Chapter 1

1

Steve McGarrett rolled onto his side and opened his eyes. He smiled when he saw Chrissy, looking peaceful and quiet next to him. Getting used to this wouldn't be too difficult. He hoped last night made that perfectly clear to her.

Taking Chrissy to the Navy SEAL Gala had been a no-brainer when Steve had realized just how much she meant to him and vice versa. I mean, not every woman would tell you she loved you while a metal beam was crushing your torso. Not only that, but she'd been there for him the entire aftermath. She'd willingly rode with him to the hospital in the ambulance and sat in the ER, waiting for news. Not only that, but when he'd finally been allowed to return home, she'd become his nurse. She changed the bandages across his ribs faithfully, despite the fact that his wounds were pretty grotesque. Actually, she'd pretty much lived with him in the month since the explosion at the warehouse.

As Steve watched her sleep, he began thinking about the status of their relationship. I mean, they'd only been on one date and shared a few kisses during the past month. He couldn't even honestly say they'd made out. Calling her his girlfriend seemed a little premature, but she wasn't exactly just another girl to him either. He hoped the question didn't come up because he didn't have an answer yet.

Slowly, Chrissy stirred and her eyes flickered open. She sighed and smiled up at Steve. She emitted, "How long have you been up?"

Steve replied, "Just a couple of minutes."

Chrissy inquired, "Were you watching me sleep?"

Steve nodded, "Yes, I was."

"May I ask why?"

"I don't know. You just look so peaceful when you're asleep. I don't think you're ever that calm when you're awake."

"Probably not. Sleeping is when I can actually relax. Most of the time, I'm not very relaxed when I'm awake. Not only that, but I had a _very_ exhausting evening yesterday."

"When did going to a Navy SEAL Gala become 'a very exhausting evening'?"

"That's the difference between men and women, Steve. When a man goes to the Navy SEAL Gala, all he has to do is put on his uniform and he's ready to go. For a woman, it's a whole process. We have to put on makeup, do our hair, put our clothes on, and do touch-ups. That's a couple of hours' worth of work, not counting the shower or bath most women take before doing all of that."

"Okay, but to me, that doesn't sound like very hard work."

"You're a guy. You don't have to wear make-up. Guys usually wear their hair too short to have to worry about styling. That's a lot of work."

"Danny would know something about that."

"Steve! That's mean. After all Danny does for you, I think you should treat him with a little more respect."

"Don't tell me you have the hots for Danno!"

"No, I don't. You know _you_ are the only guy I have the hots for. I'm just saying that Danny does an awful lot for you, and I don't think you should be as hard on him as you are. I mean, when you gave him that letter the night of the explosion, he really didn't have to give it to me. However, he knew exactly how important it was to give me the letter and that he would be letting you down if he didn't. After doing that, you really shouldn't be giving him a hard time."

"You're never going to stop talking about that letter, are you?"

"Of course not. God, the things you wrote in that letter were things I wasn't sure I'd ever hear from a man. When I thought you were dead…I was a wreck, Steve. It would have killed me to know I'd lost the only man I'd ever fallen in love with. Still, I don't regret getting that letter. I think it expressed how you truly felt about me in the purest way."

"Do you still have the letter?"

"Yes. It's in my room at home in my Treasure Box."

"You still have a treasure box?"

"Yeah, but not like the one you have when you are a kid. I've kept different things that I think are important and help me remember different points in my life. For example, I have a movie ticket from the first date I went on in seventh grade, my corsage from prom, my acceptance letter from college, the pregnancy test I took that told me I was pregnant with Sarah, my father's obituary, and your letter. Those are all things that played a huge role in my life and who I've become. Sometimes, I like to go through it and I can remember exactly what I was feeling when all of those events occurred. It's interesting, and I hope I have a full box to show my children and grandchildren someday."

"You will. Besides, now you have a ticket from the Navy SEAL Gala to add to it now."

"You're right, and I will add that to my box when I get home. However, instead of going straight home, I was thinking that maybe I could go to work with you today."

Steve sat up in bed and stared at Chrissy, a little bewildered, "Chrissy, do you realize that you have a daughter?"

Chrissy batted her eyes at Steve, "Danny told me that he would bring Sarah to Five-0 headquarters if I asked him to, so I'll probably just text him and ask him if he could."

Steve chuckled, "What are you and Danny? Texting buddies?"

Chrissy smirked, "Sarah happens to be at Danny's place now because she and Gracie had a sleepover last night. Yes, I have been texting him to check up on Sarah. He actually _answers_ my texts, unlike someone I know."

"Well, I'm glad Danny has time to chat with you via text message, but I'm usually doing a little thing called working."

"You know, that's something else I wanted to talk to you about. Do you remember what happened to you when we were at the safe house in Kauai? You collapsed, or maybe you forgot that vital piece of information. What did Max diagnose that as? Oh, that's right, overexertion, or exhaustion. Sometimes, I don't hear from you for days when you're working a case, and you always tell me it's because you were too busy to call me. You're overworking yourself again, and I'm just afraid that you're going to kill yourself doing it."

"I won't kill myself, and these cases are pressing matters. People's lives are in danger in most of my cases, and it's essential that I work hard on those cases. I'd rather overwork than find another dead body that easily could have been prevented."

"It's a useless argument with you, isn't it, Steve? I'll never be able to convince you that you work too hard, will I?"

"No, you won't."

"I'm only telling you because it worries me. You've worried me enough since I met you. I mean, that evening in Kauai, I thought you were having a heart attack. Thank God it was only overexertion and that it could be fixed. Then, the night at the warehouse, I thought you were dead. I was pretty convinced of it, too, considering that the building exploded and you were nowhere in sight. However, I got that call from you and found out you weren't dead but hurt badly. You've spent the last four weeks trying to recover from the wounds to your torso, but it's been a slow recovery because you insist on working as hard as you ever did. How many times do I have to tell you I love you, and that the last thing I want is for you to be dead because you worked yourself to the grave?"

"Chrissy, that has nothing to do with it. I know you love me, and I love you, too, but if I don't work hard, then I don't feel that I'm working to the best of my ability."

"I understand that, but working hard doesn't mean killing yourself doing it. You're one of the most driven people I've ever met. You always work hard no matter what. I would just like to see you calm down a bit so you can enjoy life."

"I understand what you're saying, but I'm just not used to that. I've never really had a woman in my life consistently. When Catherine and I were together, we didn't see each other regularly. That's probably why we were together for so long. We were barely together long enough to discuss anything. Actually, _that _was the reason we broke up. We never _talked_. We did…other things. Anyway, I've never really been in a relationship where I saw my partner regularly, so it's weird to be able to see you basically whenever I want. I'm just not used to having someone in my life who wants my attention that is not one of my co-workers."

"I'm not exactly a relationship expert, either, Steve. This is as new to me as it is to you. However, I just want you to know that I am concerned about you and your health."

Steve leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. He whispered, "I know you do. It's just that I feel so passionately about justice that working day and night seems normal."

Chrissy turned toward him, "I know you're driven, and I love that about you. Just don't work such crazy hours. I want to spend some time with you."

Steve laughed, "And you're going to work with me today to do that? Don't you have a job?"

Chrissy sighed, "We don't work on Sundays, and I really am thinking about quitting. I hate it."

"Where are you working again?"

"You mean you haven't pulled all my files? My, my. That doesn't sound like the Steve McGarrett I know."

"Trust me, Ms. Raines. I've pulled all your files. Your place of employment has just slipped my mind."

"Getting forgetful in your old age, Commander?"

"Honey, I wouldn't talk about age. You're less than a year younger than me."

"Okay, fine. I'll remind you of my employer. I work for Roshad and Eastberg, Attorneys at Law. I'm a secretary."

"I knew _that_."

"Just reminding you."

"Okay, so you hate your job there. What if I offered you a job at Five-0?"

"Steve, you can't just offer me a job because we have a relationship! Besides, I'm not qualified to work with Five-0."

"What qualifications do you need to be Five-0's secretary? Maybe a little secretarial experience, but that's about it. Chrissy, I'm honestly not giving you the job because I like you and have an outside relationship with you. I want you to take the job a) because Five-0 honestly needs someone to organize case files and other paperwork and b) because you're definitely qualified. I would never offer you the job unless I thought you deserved it. Not only that, but then we could see _a lot_ of each other."

"I'd be working for you, wouldn't I?"

"Technically, you would be working for the task force and the state of Hawaii, but yes, you would primarily be working for me."

"That would give you an awful lot of power over me."

"Yes, but our work relationship would be completely different than our relationship outside of work. At work, I would be your boss. Outside of work, I'm your…well, I'm not sure. Don't take that the wrong way."

"I didn't. In fact, I'm not sure what to call you, either. I guess we can just wait and see how it goes."

"Does that mean you'll take the job?"

"No. It means I'll consider it."

"Are you always this hard-headed?"

"No more so than you are about working too hard."

"Good point."


	2. Chapter 2

2

Lori Weston hadn't set foot in Five-0 headquarters since she resigned from the task force a year and a half before. Over the course of that time, she'd been reassigned to several different operations, but none had been as exciting as her work with Five-0. Not only that, but no man had captivated her as much as Five-0's leader, Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, had.

The entire time Lori had worked for Five-0, which only encompassed a few months at the most, she'd battled feelings for McGarrett. For some reason, she'd been drawn to the serious, heavily driven Navy SEAL. However, he'd never really noticed her. McGarrett had regarded her as more of a nuisance because she'd been assigned to keep an eye on him by the governor of Hawaii, and had paid her little attention. The day she'd resigned, she'd admitted she'd had feelings for him. Despite her hopes, he hadn't returned her affections. Then again, he had been involved with _that _Catherine Whatshername. Much to her delight, though, she'd heard that they were over and that Steve was single again. That definitely improved her chances of getting Steve.

Lori's ridiculously high heels clicked on the tile floors of Five-0 headquarters. She'd even dressed to impress today. She'd forgone her typical buttoned-up look for a cleavage-bearing pink top that clung to her lanky frame. Her business skirt was decent enough, but really only hit mid-thigh. Even a highly self-controlled man like Steve McGarrett wouldn't be able to resist her.

Pushing the doors to the headquarters open, Lori noticed the entire Five-0 team standing around the computer/table, plus Steve's ex-girlfriend, some other woman Lori didn't know, and a little girl. _Hmmm…I wonder who the other woman and the girl are._

Lori exclaimed, "Surprise, guys!"

Steve's stomach dropped when he saw Lori standing in the doorway of Five-0 headquarters. He hadn't seen her in over a year and a half, and the last time he'd seen her, it had been on kind of awkward terms. She'd resigned from the task force and admitted she had feelings for him all in the same conversation. Granted, they'd parted on amicable terms, but Steve had never had any feelings about Lori beyond a working relationship, and he'd avoided the topic. Personally, he didn't really care if he saw her again. Unfortunately, his wishes hadn't come true.

Steve replied, "Lori! What a…surprise."

Lori strutted over to the table, swaying her hips with every move, obviously trying to impress Steve. She lilted, "Is it? I told you I would come back."

Danny retorted, "Yeah, you might have told us that, but people usually give up after a year and a half with no word from you."

Lori came up behind Danny and touched him on the shoulder. She answered, "Well, I've been pretty busy since I resigned from Five-0. I've taken on several high-profile jobs."

Steve put on a fake smile "That's great, Lori. What are you doing now?"

Lori leaned over the table, hoping to provide Steve with an ample of view of her less than ample cleavage. She sighed, "Right now, I'm not doing anything, actually. I'm taking a little time off to explore my options. You know guys, I'm not exactly young, and if I want to have a family, I have to start looking for the right guy."

Danny smirked, "What are you doing in Hawaii, then? This is where you come to find a fling, not a husband."

Lori closed the door on the conversation quickly, and changed the subject completely. "Enough about me. What about you guys? I see a few faces I'm not exactly familiar with."

Steve, still a little shaken up by Lori's arrival, stumbled on his words, and motioned toward Chrissy and Sarah, "Oh, yeah, well, this is Chrissy, a friend of mine, and her little girl, Sarah."

There was an awkward silence after Steve finished his introductions. A few thoughts kept flashing through the team's minds as they looked from Lori to Steve to Chrissy. _Did Steve really just call Chrissy his "friend' after all they've been through together? How is Chrissy going to take that? What will Lori try to do now that she believes Steve is single? It's obvious that she likes him._

Lori shook hands with Chrissy and asked, "Oh. Do you work here or something?"

Chrissy put on a fake smile and retorted, "No. I'm just a _friend_ of the team."

Danny thought, _Well, Steve, I think you just made your stupidest mistake yet. You _never _call a girl you've slept in the same bed with 'a friend of yours.' Let's just say you'll be sleeping in a cold bed for a while now._


	3. Chapter 3

3

A couple of hours later, Chrissy was straightening up Steve's office, and doing her best not to burst into tears. She couldn't _believe _Steve had actually called her his friend after all they'd been through in the past six weeks. They'd lived together, slept beside one another, shared a few not-just-friends kisses, and she'd nursed him back to health twice. Didn't that mean _anything_ to him? She'd thought so, especially after this morning. However, the second _that_ _woman_ had strutted through the doors of Five-0 in a slinky pink top, a hooker skirt, and stripper shoes, everything had been turned upside down.

From the second that Lori, who Chrissy referred to as Slutty Former Colleague with the Hots for Steve, had walked through those doors, Chrissy knew that something was up. From the way she dressed to the way she acted and talked around Steve, everything about her had given Chrissy the feeling that Lori wanted Steve, and that she would do anything to make sure she got him. It made Chrissy really uneasy, especially after the way Steve acted around her, and referred to her as a "friend."

Chrissy felt both mad and upset about it. Part of her was screaming, _How the hell could Steve even think to refer to me as his friend? I mean, he told me he loved me. We've been through more in six weeks than most couples have been through in a lifetime. _Another part of her was crying, _What if he wants Lori? What if he didn't tell her that we were together because he's interested in having a relationship with her? God, if he cheated…I'm not sure I could take it. I can't be someone's second choice, and that's what I might be now that she's in the picture._

Chrissy heard the door to Steve's office open and close behind her. She knew she wasn't alone, and she had a bad feeling she knew exactly who it was. Unfortunately, Chrissy wasn't sure she was ready to face Steve yet.

Chrissy felt Steve's arms come around her waist and rest on her stomach. His nose nuzzled her hair as he kissed the back of her throat. Despite the fact that it felt good, she knew she had to separate herself from this part of their relationship so she could think straight. She pulled his hands off of her stomach and quickly moved away from him.

Steve moved in front of her so she had to face him and inquired, "What's up, Chrissy?"

Chrissy retorted, anger obvious in her voice, "Nothing, Steve. It's just that 'friends' don't kiss and touch each other like that."

With that, Chrissy whirled around and left his office, leaving Steve completely dumbfounded.


	4. Chapter 4

4

As Lori watched all the goings on at Five-0, she decided that she didn't like Chrissy Raines. She was simply too much of a girly-girl for Lori's taste. Besides, she looked at Steve as though he moved heaven and Earth, and that just wasn't acceptable now that she planned on pursuing Steve. She would _definitely _have to talk to Steve about Chrissy because she just couldn't be hanging around any longer.

Another person Lori wasn't particularly fond of was Catherine Rollins. Granted, she hadn't really liked her when she'd met her a year and a half ago purely because she was dating Steve. Catherine might not be with Steve anymore, but she still seemed damned protective of him. Every time Lori tried to send Steve a flirtatious look, Catherine countered her with a death stare. Lori wondered, _Do they still have some sort of relationship going? Maybe they're on a friends with benefits plan. Well, Steve will have to drop that if he wants to be with me. I do not put up with other women. If Steve McGarrett wants to be with me, he better know that._

Eventually, after dealing with countless death stares, Lori inquired, "Ms. Rollins, if you don't mind me asking, why do you keep giving me dirty looks?"

Catherine barely glanced at her as she answered, "I think you know why, Agent Weston."

Lori shook her head, "No, I don't believe I do."

Catherine's breathing became uneven, and she looked as though she might burst. She quietly fumed, "In case you haven't noticed, Steve is with Chrissy now. I don't think you particularly care, but she is. They love each other. Steve made a stupid word choice this afternoon when he called her a friend because she is much more than that. They lived together for nearly two weeks while Chrissy stayed in a safe house as Wo Fat hunted her. She nursed Steve back to health after he suffered from exhaustion and when he broke his ribs. In fact, he thought he was going to die, so he wrote her a letter so she knew exactly what he meant to her. Not only are they in love, but Steve loves her little girl, Sarah, as well. They would be a beautiful family.

"Now I know you have your sights set on Steve, but he isn't available, Lori, just like he wasn't available a year and a half ago when you told him you had feelings for him. The only difference is that I'm no longer with him. Chrissy is. However, just because it's a different woman doesn't mean I'll let you steal him away from her. Both of them deserve the happiness they are experiencing together. I'd hate to see it screwed up by a jealous woman."

Lori shot back, "Well, Steve isn't exactly owning up to the relationship, so I think we should let him decide for himself."

Catherine walked until she stood toe-to-toe with Lori. She warned, "If you _ever_ try to screw up Steve and Chrissy's relationship even in the slightest, not only will you have to answer to me, but you'll have to answer to the rest of Five-0, and I don't think you'll like what happens after that."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No, not at all. I'm just warning you of what will happen if you do anything to interfere in their relationship. Chrissy is my best friend, and Steve is one of my closest friends. Neither of them has ever met another person that is as perfect of a match as they are for each other. If something were to happen between them, I don't know that either of them would ever recover. Both of them have such fragile hearts, and they've been broken too many times. This time, I think, would be the last time. Don't come between them, Lori, or you'll regret it."

"Whatever you say, Ms. Rollins, but don't blame me if Steve gets bored with Little Miss All-American and wants a little more of a challenge in his life."

"Trust me on this. Steve doesn't need any more challenges in his life. That's all he's had to deal with since the day he was born. What he needs is a woman who will love him the way he is and who he loves back. Nothing complicated, nothing challenging. Besides, Chrissy has enough spunk to last him a lifetime. Life will never get boring. You and Steve would never work."

"How would you know?"

"I dated him, remember?"

"And you were obviously very successful because you're not with him anymore."

"That's one of the reasons I'm warning you. Steve _needs _a girly-girl. Even though I was a girly Navy SEAL, it just didn't work between us. Steve should be with a very feminine woman to complement his overzealous masculinity. You're too tomboyish for Steve, Lori. Just accept it."

Lori didn't answer Catherine. She decided it was just best to ignore her. Catherine was wrong, anyway. Lori smiled. She _would _get Steve McGarrett, and no frumpy little single mother was going to stand in her way.


	5. Chapter 5

5

The next couple of days were awkward between Steve and Chrissy. He tried to talk to her every chance he could, and she avoided him every time. Steve kept thinking, _Okay, I called her my friend, but that was a complete accident. I never meant anything by it. I love her, for God's sake. It's not like I intentionally said that. I have to talk to her and clear this up._

Not only did Steve feel completely guilty about his bad word choice, but now he was realizing just what a huge part of his life Chrissy had become. Usually, they talked on the phone a couple of times a day. Now, his phone stayed silent except for work calls. Steve, Chrissy, and Sarah usually had dinner together every night, most of the time with her cooking. Now, however, he'd found himself eating very little or even skipping meals. Despite the fact that he and Chrissy had only been able to sleep beside one another a few times since the warehouse incident, he felt extremely lonely when he fell into bed and stared at the ceiling. Everything about his life was changing now that she had shut him out, and he hated it.

Steve sent her several text messages over the course of those two days. Most of them read something like this:

_I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean it. You are much more to me than a friend. Please talk to me. I love you._

Each one of the texts went unanswered. Steve grew extremely frustrated. _Was my making a mistake on defining our relationship _that _bad of a mistake? I guess I didn't realize._ He knew that if she didn't start talking to him soon, he was going to have to go to extreme measures to get her to talk to him. The idea didn't really appeal to him, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

By day three, the frustration was really getting to Steve, so he decided to confide in Danny about the situation. He hoped that Danny might have some insight and be able to help him.

Danny informed Steve, "Well, I hate to tell you this, Steve, but calling a girl you've slept in the same bed with a 'friend' is not exactly a small offense to a woman."

Steve sighed, "I know that, but Chrissy won't even talk to me."

Danny nodded, "Yeah, and it sounds like she's taken your definition of the relationship seriously."

Steve's stomach dropped, "What do you mean?"

"Chrissy asked me out this afternoon."

"What! She told me she didn't have the hots for you!"

"I don't know what to tell you, Steve. All I know is that she called me this afternoon and wanted to know if I wanted to go out with her this evening."

"To which, of course, you said no."

"See, that's the thing, Steve. I didn't say no. In fact, I took Chrissy up on her invitation."

"What! Danny, that's my girlfriend!"

"Maybe if you'd said_ that_ three days ago, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"Promise me you won't do anything with her."

"I can't do that."

"Why the hell not?"

"Chrissy was pretty adamant that this is a real date."

"Where are you having dinner?"

"Who said we're having dinner? Chrissy invited me over to her place. She never said anything about dinner."

Steve felt bile rising in his throat. _Chrissy really asked out my best friend? Is this her idea of revenge? Okay, I really didn't mean anything by this friend thing. God, I even apologized to her. Now, I really have to figure out how to get her to listen to me._

Lori chuckled as she listened to the conversation. _Steve's little girlfriend isn't so interested in him anymore, I see. I guess she was smart enough to see that she didn't have a chance with him. However, I think a few final touches need to be done to insure that she doesn't come back, and I think I know just the trick._

Despite the fact that Chrissy had felt pretty confident when she'd called Danny and confided to him about her plan to make Steve rethink his "friend" comment, as she slid into a short black dress with slinky straps, she felt worry setting in. There was no way Steve was just going to sit at home and twiddle his thumbs while Danny was with her on a date. She knew he would be watching her somehow. She wondered what he might think when he saw them together. What if Steve took this seriously and really thought she wanted to date Danny? All she really wanted to do was make him realize how his referring to her as a friend made her feel. Maybe this was stupid after all.

The doorbell rang. _Well, I guess it's too late to turn back now. Hopefully, Steve will see that we need to define our relationship. I love him. It killed me when he sent me those text messages, but I just can't solve this via text. I can't talk to him about it yet, either. I just want him to get a taste of our "friendship" and see if it changes his mind._

Chrissy scurried to the door and opened it. Danny stood on the other side, a bouquet of roses in his hand. She couldn't help but notice how good he looked tonight, dressed in a blue and white striped shirt and black pants. He couldn't rival Steve, and she definitely wasn't attracted to him, but tonight was all about appearances.

Danny moved closer and kissed her on the cheek. He whispered, "These are for you, and Steve is parked in Kono's car on the other side of the road."

Chrissy momentarily glanced up. Sure enough, Steve was sitting not too subtly across the street in Kono's car. She didn't dare meet his gaze. At this point, she couldn't risk blowing her "date" and she couldn't bear to see the hurt on his face. Honestly, she was surprised he hadn't killed Danny when he'd found out about the date. Maybe he was exercising a little self-control.

Chrissy invited Danny in, and they quickly got down to dinner. Throughout dinner, they discussed Steve and took guesses on how long he was going to creep outside the dining room windows before he made his entrance to throttle Danny. They laughed and talked, and a few times, Danny used flirtatious moves like touching her face and touching her knee. Chrissy did her best not to shy away. All of this officially made her realize she had no romantic interest in Danny whatsoever. He was a sweet guy and a great friend, but he was not the guy she was in love with. _That _would be Steve, the guy who peered in the windows like a stalker, which was really starting to freak her out.

Chrissy whispered to Danny, "Are you sure Steve doesn't have any stalker tendencies? The way he's peeking in the windows is really starting to creep me out."

Danny laughed, "I don't think so, but then again, he does seem to be an expert at ducking out of sight, doesn't he?"

Chrissy replied, "Yeah. It's a little weird, and I'm starting to feel kind of bad about it."

Danny nudged her, "Are you ready for the grand finale, then?"

"I guess so. We'll have to do it sometime."

Danny leaned over and softly kissed Chrissy's lips. It took all of her willpower not to pull away. For her, kissing Danny was like kissing her brother. They had no chemistry at all. So, she decided she'd just have to pretend she was kissing Steve. It worked to some extent; at least until she heard a hard, insistent knock on her front door.

Danny broke the kiss quickly and stated, "You should get that."

Chrissy nodded and got up from the table. Trying to make Steve assume more, she slid one strap of her dress down her shoulder and mussed her hair as she opened the door.

Steve (shockingly) stood on the other side, his eyes filled with rage. He seethed, "How could you kiss him? I thought we were together!"

Chrissy retorted, "I'm not sure about that, Commander, since you decided that we're 'friends!'"

Steve shouted, "Oh, for the love of God, Chrissy, how many times do I have to tell you I'm sorry? I never meant to hurt you when I said that. I was just flustered that Lori showed up."

Chrissy shot back, "You never corrected it, though, did you? You knew you screwed up and you never bothered to mention it to her. Do you like her or something?"

"No, of course not. It's just that the last time she was here, she admitted she had feelings for me."

"And how did you respond?"

"I didn't, really. I kind of evaded the subject because I had no feelings for her at all."

"Steve, I think we should take a break for a while so we can sort all of this out."

"I see. Or is it so you can see how your relationship with New Jersey goes?"

"Danny has nothing to do with this."

"Oh, yeah, that's what it really looked like when he had his tongue halfway down your throat!"

"Jealous?"

"No. I think I'm finally seeing you for what you really are, Chrissy."

"And what is that, Steve?"

Danny ran into the room, trying to get Steve's attention, "Steve, let me try to explain."

Steve interrupted, "There's nothing to explain, Danny. Chrissy obviously isn't interested in me. She manipulated my emotions so she could humiliate me. Is it because you're so bitter over what Michael did to you that you wanted to see what it would be like to toy with a man's emotions?"

Danny grabbed Steve's arm, "Steve, stop it! This was all a set-up. Chrissy just wanted to make a point about what 'friends' is. I knew all about this. Everything was planned, including the kiss."

Steve chuckled bitterly, "You expect me to believe that, because you really looked like you were enjoying yourself, Danno."

Danny insisted, "Steve, you know I wouldn't do that to you. I'm your best friend, and she's your girlfriend. Besides, I don't feel that way about her at all and vice versa."

Steve shook his head, "I wish I could believe you, but your little performance looked a little too real to be just that."

Chrissy's eyes were filled with tears she wouldn't allow to shed, "What are you going to do?"

Steve avoided her eyes carefully, "I think you're right. We should definitely take a break."


	6. Chapter 6

6

Steve and Chrissy spent their night tossing and turning in their respective beds. Steve's dreams, or nightmares in his definition, were doused with images of Danny and Chrissy together. Several times, he bolted up in bed, utterly frightened by the thought of Danny kissing her touching her, and worst of all, making love to her. Despite the fact that he was angry with them, the thought of losing Chrissy overruled all of it. The loss of contact he'd endured over the past few days had been hellish enough. Living the rest of his life without her simply seemed unbearable. Chrissy's night was not filled with dreams or nightmares, but instead she was overcome by sleeplessness and the guilt over what she'd done. Sure, the idea had seemed great at first because she knew it would get Steve's attention, but in retrospect, she realized it had been a bad idea. He always jumped to conclusions and acted before he thought because he felt so passionately. Most of the time, Chrissy loved that about him. However, in these situations, it was her least favorite quality. Because of it, she wasn't quite sure where she stood with him. From the sounds of it, they were taking a break, but she wasn't sure how long it would last.

Around five that morning, Steve decided he couldn't take staring at the four walls of his bedroom anymore. Sliding on a sleeveless dark blue workout shirt and black shorts, he was out of the house in five minutes, the cool ocean breeze licking his body. He began to jog briskly, hoping to clear his head. Dawn hadn't made its appearance yet over the horizon, but Steve felt as though he'd been awake forever. Thoughts of Chrissy had kept him awake all night long, and he still wasn't sure exactly how he felt about her. Of course, he couldn't deny that he loved her, despite whatever had transpired between her and Danny. However, he wasn't sure what he should do about what he'd seen. He couldn't very well just let it go and pretend as though nothing had happened because it obviously had. However, living without her just wasn't going to happen after all they'd been through together.

As Steve continued his run, he jogged past Chrissy's house. For a few seconds, he stood outside on the sidewalk, contemplating whether or not to knock on her door. He eventually decided against it. _Too early for a discussion like that. Besides, she has to be up in a little while to get Sarah ready for school. I'll talk to her later._

Steve kept his pace on his way back to his house, trying to think about how in the world he was going to face Chrissy.

Later that morning, as Steve was looking over some case files, he heard a knock on his office door. He glanced up and saw that it was Chrissy standing behind the glass. He answered, "Come in."

Chrissy cautiously opened and closed the door. Steve couldn't take her eyes off of her. She wore tight dark blue jeans and a pink T-shirt. Her outfit might have been simple, but to him, she wouldn't have looked better if she was wearing a short skirt and a tube top. However, he knew he couldn't let how she looked distract him. They had some important matters to discuss, and looking at her only made it more difficult.

Chrissy hugged her waist as she stood in front of Steve's desk, "Hey."

Steve didn't look her in the eyes, "Hey."

Chrissy stated, "I want to talk to you about last night."

Steve nodded, his jaw locked in place, "Okay. Shoot."

Chrissy stated, "Look, Steve, I was really upset when you told Lori I was your friend. I mean, after all we've gone through in the past few weeks, I think we are _definitely _more than that. So, I let my anger overrun my common sense and I decided that I would show you what 'friends' actually means. I called Danny and told him my idea. He was very reluctant at first, but I eventually convinced him to help me out. We planned every part of last night, including that kiss. I'm not attracted to Danny. I don't have any feelings for him beyond that of a friend. I just wanted you to understand how I felt when you called me your friend."

Steve shook his head, "I hear you, Chrissy, but I hate to tell you I'm having a hard time comprehending it all. I mean, from my perspective, last night looked pretty damn real. You say you were acting. It was a good performance because you certainly had me fooled."

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"I wish I could, but no, I don't."

"I promise you I'm telling the truth. I wouldn't lie to you. I never have and I wouldn't want to start now."

"Look, I know I screwed up when I called you my friend, but I didn't mean anything by it. I sure as hell didn't think it would warrant revenge, either, and especially not with my best friend."

"It wasn't revenge. It was a way to get your attention. I'm not attracted to Danny in the least. I don't want him. I want you, and I hoped that this would prove it to you."

"Well, if this was your way to get my attention, it worked, but I don't think it worked the way you wanted it to."

"I know that, and I was having second thoughts almost instantly after I got off the phone with Danny. I should have stopped it, but I didn't, and now I'm not even sure how you feel about me because of it."

"Chrissy, what happened doesn't change the fact that I love you. Nothing could change that. However, I just don't like the possibility that you could be cheating on me."

"Steve, I wouldn't cheat on you! Don't you trust me? I trust you more than anyone in the world. I've never questioned whether or not you've been faithful to me, even though there have been more than a few nights when I couldn't get a hold of you. I could have easily assumed there was someone else, but I didn't because I know you. Don't you know me?"

"I think I do, but I'm not sure now."

"If that's the way it is, then I'm not sure you're the Steve McGarrett I fell in love with."

At that moment, Lori breezed through the door, not bothering to knock. Chrissy bit her lip, not wanting to cause a stir. She didn't like Lori. The woman just gave her a completely weird feeling, especially when Chrissy saw the way Lori looked at Steve. It seemed as though Lori had feelings for him, but it was nothing like what Chrissy felt for Steve. Whereas Chrissy loved Steve and cared about him, Lori seemed to crave his attention and affection. Chrissy had to admit she loved having Steve's full attention, but she didn't need it constantly. Lori seemed to.

Lori walked around Chrissy and came back around behind Steve's desk. As she handed him a manila file, she gently brushed Steve's forearm with her fingertips. Chrissy's stomach curled. Despite the fact that she and him were on the outs, she still felt protective when a woman tried to touch the man she thought of as her boyfriend.

Lori leaned down close to Steve's ear, and not-too-quietly whispered, "By the way, I can't stop thinking about last night."

Chrissy felt a wave of nausea wash over her. No, no, this wasn't possible. Steve wouldn't do that to her. He loved her. He'd just said so. Not only that, but he wasn't that kind of guy. He'd been angry because he thought she was cheating on him. There was no way he could force that kind of pain on someone else.

Steve glared at Lori, his eyes filled with questions, "Lori, what are you talking about?"

Lori smiled sweetly at him, "You know, last night, at your place. Oh, and let's not forget the few nights before that."

Without another word or even a glance at Chrissy, Lori walked out the door.

Steve reassured, "Chrissy, I know what this sounds like-"

Chrissy didn't even look at Steve. She simply opened the door and walked out of Steve's office, making it slammed on her way out. Quickening her pace, she strutted toward where Lori stood beside the table/computer. She stopped in front of Lori, and planted her hands on her hips."

Chrissy seethed, "Look, I know your little game, Lori. You want Steve. Well, guess what? I'm with him now. There's nothing you can do to change that, and if you think lying about spending last night with him is going to make him yours, you can dream on."

Lori laughed, "Believe me, Ms. Raines, I wish I was lying. Wait, no I don't. Especially not after I spent the last few nights with the man I've been waiting a year and a half for."

Chrissy retorted, "In your dreams, maybe."

Lori shook her head, "Oh, no. I can prove it to you. How else would I know that Steve has navy blue sheets on his bed that smell like soap and Steve's cologne, or that on his cell phone and his gun are always under his pillow when he sleeps?"

Chrissy's emotions were in overdrive. Tears were forming behind her eyelids, and her stomach turned queasily. Only someone who'd been in Steve's bedroom would know things like that, which could only mean one thing. Lori had been in Steve's bedroom, and most likely slept with him.

Chrissy turned on her heel and bolted back to Steve's office. Not even bothering to knock on the door, she burst in, slammed the door shut, and began grilling him.

Chrissy shouted, "How could you do that, and with her?"

Steve questioned, "What did I do, exactly?"

Tears began spilling down Chrissy's cheeks, "_You_ stood here and preached to me about having a relationship with Danny when you've been sleeping with her for the last few nights! I trusted you! You told me you loved me. Was that a big lie, too? Or was it just that you got bored with the single mother and wanted someone with a little less baggage?"

Steve answered, "Chrissy, I don't know what Lori told you besides what you heard in here, but I can assure you that I did not sleep with her."

"I'm sure you _weren't_ sleeping."

"I didn't do anything with her. I love you. You're the only woman I want to sleep with."

"Steve, how else would she know what your sheets smell like or that you sleep with your cell phone and your gun underneath your pillow unless she was in the bed with you?"

"Personally, I don't have an answer for you. All I can give you is my word that I didn't sleep with her last night or any night before that."

"I wish I could believe you, but I can't. If you can't trust me, then I can't give you trust in return."

"Chrissy, listen, I'm sorry about accusing you—"

"Steve, 'sorry' doesn't cut it anymore. It's over. I'm flying back to L.A. as soon as I can wrap up everything in Hawaii."

"Please, Chrissy, don't do this. I love you. Don't walk away from me."

"I can't stay in a relationship where I can't trust the guy I'm with and vice versa. I'm no good for you, and you know that. Nothing good can come out of this."

"What about the last six weeks? Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"I can't lie to you and say that it doesn't. Of course the last six weeks have meant something. However, I just don't think our relationship is going to work."

"Don't leave the island. Not like this."

Chrissy glanced up at him, biting her lip, "I can't stay here. This is your home, not mine."

Steve got out of his chair and moved toward her, touching her shoulder. She pulled away instantly. She shook her head, "Please, don't touch me, Steve."

Steve swallowed hard and pulled his hands away, "Don't leave. Please."

"Don't make this harder than it is."

"Is there anything I can do to make you stay?"

"No."

Steve moved further back, and focused his gaze on the floor, "I guess it's over then."

Chrissy nodded, "I guess so."

Steve asked, "Will you need a ride to the airport or anything?"

Chrissy shook her head, "I'll get a cab, thanks."

"What are you going to tell Sarah?"

"I'll just tell her we can move back home."

"I meant about me."

"Look, I'm not going to stop you from saying good-bye to my daughter if that's what you want to do. The only thing I want to warn you of is that you're going to break her heart whatever you decide to do."

"I hate that."

"I know you do. One thing I'll never doubt is your love of my daughter. She loves you, too."

"I know. Let me know when your flight leaves and I'll come and see Sarah before then. I have to say good-bye to her no matter what."

"I understand. I will."

As Chrissy opened the door, Steve added, "Two things. One, I love you, Chrissy, despite what you might think. Two, I _never _slept with Lori."

Chrissy shrugged, "What does it matter now?"

After Chrissy closed the door, Steve put his head in his hands and tried to make sense of what had just happened. Chrissy had accused him of cheating and he'd denied it. Now, she was walking away because of some lies Lori had fed her. His life was in shambles, and he had to find a way to win Chrissy back before she walked out of his life forever.


	7. Chapter 7

7

That afternoon, after everyone had left for the day, Lori approached Steve. He almost fumed when he saw her. The woman had just ruined his relationship with Chrissy, and she wanted to talk to him? Hell no. He was angrier than he'd ever been in his life, and Lori would be lucky if she walked away from him unscathed.

Lori inquired, "Hey, Steve, are you up for a beer after all the work is done here?"

Steve offered her a death stare and monotone, "Lori, I want you to get your things and get off the premises as soon as possible."

Lori scoffed, "What's got you all riled up?"

Steve retorted, "Gee, Lori, I don't know. It could be because an ex-member of the task force lied to my girlfriend and told her she'd slept with me, basically ruining our relationship. Not only is she leaving me, but she is also leaving Hawaii as soon as she can. I don't know. I guess that could be the reason."

"Look, Steve, let's face it. You were going to get bored with her soon and then what? You're a man who needs excitement in his life, and you'd have been sentenced to a life of drudgery. Do you really want that?"

"Lori, you don't know anything about me. If you did, then you definitely wouldn't have told my girlfriend all those lies."

"Come on. You can't deny that there's an attraction between us."

"There is nothing between us. Now get your stuff and get the hell out of here. I don't want to see you ever again. If you ever come near me or Five-0 headquarters again, I will make sure you regret it."

"You can't do that!"

"I can and I will."

Lori stomped away and grabbed her stuff. The wheels of her mind were already turning. _So that's the way he wants to act, huh? Well, he's going to regret that soon enough. Then, he will see how much he loves me and needs me. I'll make him. He can't be with Little Miss Perfect. He might think he loves her now, but he will see the error of his ways. I will be the woman who brings Steve McGarrett to his knees._

That afternoon, because she was really confused as to what had transpired in the office that morning, Catherine gave Chrissy a call. She knew Lori had had something to do with it because she'd walked around smiling for the rest of the day.

Catherine asked, "So what the hell happened this morning at the office?"

Chrissy choked back tears, "Well, I found out that Steve has been sleeping with Lori since she came back. At first, I didn't believe it, but when she revealed some pretty personal details about Steve's bedroom, I knew it was true."

Catherine was baffled, "What? No, there's absolutely no way Steve was stupid enough to sleep with Lori."

Chrissy replied, "Apparently, he is. I mean, Lori knew exactly what color his sheets are, what they smell like, and what Steve keeps under his pillow while he sleeps. That sounds pretty incriminating."

"I agree with you, but it just doesn't add up. Steve has been avoiding Lori as much as he can since she came back. He's trying to figure out the best way to get rid of her."

"Maybe it's a cover so that no one suspects."

"Look, Chrissy, I hate to tell you this, but I think Lori has been stalking Steve. I've just been getting this weird feeling. If she'd just crept into his bedroom, she'd know all of that information."

"I guess, but Steve doesn't believe that I was just trying to get his attention by kissing Danny, so why should I believe he hasn't been sleeping with Lori? He doesn't get my trust if he doesn't trust me."

"Maybe if you guys just take a break, everything will cool off."

"It's too late. We broke up."

"No, Chrissy! You two are so perfect together."

"We were, but now we aren't. I'm leaving Hawaii in a couple of weeks."

"Don't leave. The two of you can work this out. I just know it. This is just a big misunderstanding."

"I wish it was that simple, but I think there's a lot more to it than that."

"So you're really going to leave?"

"Yeah."

"Well, make sure you say good-bye to everyone before you go. You know we're all really going to miss you."

"I know, and I'll miss you guys, too."

"I just wish you wouldn't give up on Steve this easily. I have a bad feeling Lori is behind all of this."

"If she is, she did a marvelous job of getting me out of the picture."

"Do a little more digging. You never know what you might find out."

That evening, Chrissy began moving some of her things into luggage. She wouldn't be leaving for L.A. for a couple of weeks yet because she had to give two weeks' notice at her firm and she had to stick around until that time was up. She just hoped she wouldn't have to run into Steve and his new girlfriend during that time. It was hard enough to deal with the thought of it; she didn't need the visualization to go with it.

As she packed, however, Chrissy began to notice that several of her things weren't in the house. Some of her clothes, pots and pans, and various items were now at Steve' place rather than her own. _Crap. Now I _have _to see him again. What if she's there when I go to pick my stuff up? Will her stuff be in drawers next to mine?_ The thought of any of it made her sick to her stomach.

Later that night, as Chrissy tried to fall asleep, her thoughts came back to a reason Steve could have possibly cheated on her. _Did Steve cheat because I was afraid to have sex with him? He was always really good about it when we talked, but maybe he just got tired of waiting. I mean, men do have needs. If that was it, he could have just talked to me about it. I would have listened, and maybe we could have tried it. I'm still not very comfortable with the idea of sex, but if it was for him, I would have done it. He should have known that, but he went to her instead. He got what he wanted in her arms, not mine. Maybe it was _my _fault._

Tears began to stream down Chrissy's cheeks for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Despite the fact that she was mad, her overwhelming emotion was now sadness over the loss of a relationship she thought would go far. For the last six weeks, she had spent nearly every waking moment with Steve. Her whole life had revolved around him. Now, it was all over.

Not only was she crying for herself, but Chrissy was crying for Sarah, too. From the instant Sarah had met him, she'd liked Steve, and become even more attached to him during their two weeks in the safe house and beyond. During the last couple of days, Sarah had started asking questions. She wanted to know where Steve was and why she hadn't seen him in a while. Chrissy didn't have the heart to tell her that she was no longer with Steve and that they would be leaving Hawaii soon. Not only that, but Chrissy wasn't sure Sarah would understand all of that. Maybe it was for the best.

Chrissy decided that she would go to Steve's tomorrow and pick up all of her stuff after work. No, it wasn't going to be easy, but she figured it would be easier to get it over with. As long as Lori wasn't there, Chrissy wasn't too worried about it. She just hated the idea of seeing the two of them together. Lori would definitely make a big show of it if she was there, and Chrissy wasn't sure she could take it. However, if Lori was there, she knew she wouldn't have a choice. She'd just have to smile through it and pretend like everything was fine even though she was sure this would be the first and last time she fell in love.


	8. Chapter 8

8

The next day, Steve came home around seven o'clock in the evening. He was never home this early, but work was slow at Five-0, and there was nothing to do there. So, Steve had decided to take an early night and go home. He needed to get some rest because he hadn't slept well in almost a week. Chrissy had gotten to him, and she had finally won. He was home early, something she'd always bugged him about. Thinking about it, he couldn't help but smile.

When Steve arrived home, he quickly stripped off his clothes and went into the bathroom. Pulling his shaving kit out of the cabinet, he began to shave the two days' worth of stubble along his cheeks, jawline, and chin. After all that had happened with Chrissy over the last forty-eight hours, he hadn't even bothered to shave because he felt like hell and didn't particularly care how he looked. However, as he gazed in the mirror and ran the razor over his cheek, he laughed. He couldn't help but remember how much trouble he'd had shaving after coming home from the hospital. When Chrissy had heard him cursing from the bathroom, she'd knocked on the door and asked him what the problem was. After a few avoidance tactics, he'd eventually admitted that the pain in his torso was being affected when he tried to shave. So, taking matters into her own hands, she had taken the razor and finished the job. To be honest, it had been a complete turn-on to watch her shave him. He hadn't told her that, though. Somehow, he'd figured that telling her about that would scare her a little bit. Sex was still something Chrissy struggled with, and he hated the idea of pushing her into it. He knew she would tell him when she was ready. However, it was still up for debate since they were apart now.

Steve took a long, hot shower. Water had always cleared his head for some reason, and it was doing so now as it always had. As the water streamed down his body in tiny rivers and beads, he leaned back against the shower wall. He sighed, and secretly hoped he would see Chrissy soon. He was sure that he if he went over to her house to talk to her, she wouldn't answer the door. Besides, she'd left some of her things here, and he was sure she'd pick them up sometime. Then, he'd have to convince her to stay. It wouldn't be easy, but he was pretty sure it could be done. He was a Navy SEAL, after all, and had been involved in some of the most dangerous top-secret missions ever known to man. Certainly, he could handle a woman, and convince her of the truth.

Lori waited until she saw Steve open the shower door before she made her move. Quietly, she climbed off of the ladder she had up against the house and slipped in the house. Tiptoeing around, she noticed various items of women's clothing, which she guessed belonged to Chrissy. The thought made her angry, but she tried to ignore it. She had a job to do, and she couldn't be worried about that little twit. Instead, she just had to get Steve under her control. He was hers.

Silently, she slipped up the stairs, listening as the sounds of the shower running came closer and closer. She was very tempted to go in now and confront Steve. He would be naked and vulnerable, two perfect qualities for what she was about to do. However, she resisted the temptation. If she did go in now, she knew she would be distracted purely because of the fact that Steve was naked and alone with her. She'd had that fantasy practically since she'd met him. Regardless, it would be a distraction she didn't need because she was sure she wouldn't have the nerve to point a gun at him if she was busy checking him out.

Lori finally decided to wait outside the door to the bathroom. That way, she wouldn't be distracted by him and she'd actually be able to do what she'd come here for. So, with her gun in hand and her back against the wall, she waited.

Stepping out of the shower, Steve dried himself and wrapped a towel around his waist. Even though he fastened it adequately, the towel still managed to slip and rest seductively on his hips. He decided it didn't matter and quickly tidied up the bathroom. Flipping off the switch, he exited the bathroom.

However, just as Steve entered the hallway, Lori jumped out in front of him, gun in hand, blocking his path. He put his hands on either side of his head, really wishing he hadn't left his gun on the kitchen counter. Luckily, the gun in Lori's hands wasn't his.

Steve asked, "Lori, what's up?"

Lori shook her head, her face filled with anger, "For being a Navy SEAL, you're pretty dense. I _love_ you. Can't you see that?"

Steve sighed, "Yes, I do, but I don't want to encourage you when I don't have the same feelings for you. I love someone else."

Lori chuckled bitterly, "Yeah, you love the boring little single mother who just wants you because you're a convenient substitute father for her child."

"Don't talk about things you don't understand, like love. The only type of love you understand is obsession. The only reason you want me is because you could compete with me for the rest of my life. To be blunt, I've dealt with that my entire life, and what I really don't want to do is spend the rest of my life competing with the person I love."

"I thought Steve McGarrett was always up for a challenge."

"In my work, absolutely. However, in my personal life, I like things to be a lot easier because they never have been. Before you showed up, I was just beginning to settle into a routine I liked. I was talking to Chrissy a couple of times a day, having dinner with her, that type of thing. However, you threw everything out of whack when you walked into Five-0 headquarters looking like a hooker. Thanks to you, my personal life is now a disaster."

Lori aimed the gun, "Shut up, Steve, or I'll shoot, and after I'm done shooting you, I'll go over to your girlfriend's house. I can't tell you what might happen there."

Steve tried to keep his voice as calm as possible, "I swear to God, Lori, if you do anything to hurt Chrissy or Sarah, Five-0 will make sure you rot in prison for the rest of your life."

Lori's eyes dared him, "If they can catch me, that is."

"We caught and killed the biggest arms dealer in the world and his accomplice. Taking down an obsessive federal agent will be a piece of cake."

"Aren't you arrogant? Not exactly a quality I would have thought of you until this moment. It took you four years to find Wo Fat, and there were a lot of bumps in the road along the way."

"Still got him, and they will get you if you murder anyone tonight."

"Fat chance. Besides, who says I'm going to kill you right away? I mean, there's a lot of things I could do to you."

Steve's stomach knotted. He had a bad feeling he knew exactly what she probably wanted to do with him. Obviously, Lori had a thing for him, and probably some of it was sex-related. She probably wanted to torture him that way, get her pleasure out of him, and then put the gun to his head. _There's a way to go_. He really didn't want to go through that. He'd endured some of that torture when he was captured as a SEAL. No, he wasn't fond of it, but he knew that as long as it kept Lori away from Chrissy and Sarah, it didn't matter what he had to go through.

Steve laughed, "Go ahead, Lori. Make me a sexual prisoner. That's all you really wanted me for anyway. You think you can control me that way. I hate to break it to you, but I'm an uncontrollable person. See how long you can last with me while I'm always fighting back."

"I just might. I _love_ a good challenge."

Chrissy knew something was off when she parked at the end of Steve's driveway. Something just felt weird, very much as it had the day she'd been attacked by one of Wo Fat's hired guns. She was instantly glad she'd decided to leave Sarah with Catherine. Quietly, she made her way up the driveway. As she came up on the porch, she could distinctly hear two voices screaming at each other from inside, and it wasn't a good kind of screaming.

Chrissy eased the door knob open and tiptoed in the house. The yelling was much louder inside, and she knew the voices belonged to Steve and Lori. At first, she thought it might just be a typical lover's quarrel, but when she caught the words "kill," "murder," and "gun" coming from Lori, she knew it was much more than that. Glancing around, she looked for a weapon to take upstairs with her. When she saw Steve's gun on the kitchen counter, her heart stopped. He was unarmed, and from the sounds of it, Lori had a gun. She needed to get help and get up there fast.

As Chrissy grabbed Steve's gun, she pulled out her cell phone out of her pocket to text Danny. She wrote:

_Need help! Steve's house NOW! Please HURRY!_

Grasping Steve's gun in her right hand, Chrissy replaced her phone in her pocket and started toward the staircase. Steve and Lori's voices grew louder, and she overhead part of their conversation. It was intense.

Steve interrogated, "Lori, why did you lie to Chrissy about us spending the night together? Because you told her that, she's leaving Hawaii and me. I'm not sure I'll be able to live without her."

Chrissy thought she heard a slap. Lori shouted, "Don't you get it? It's me you want, not her. I had to tell her something so that she would stop interfering in our relationship."

Steve's voice grew louder, "Stop interfering in _our _relationship? What about my relationship with Chrissy? You didn't care if you interfered in my relationship with her, did you? No, because according to you, _you _are my soul mate and the only woman I'm supposed to be with for the rest of my life. What about me? I think I should get a say in my own life."

Chrissy's heart stopped. Steve had never slept with Lori. She'd just admitted it. One question still remained: how did she know anything about Steve's bedroom? Well, Chrissy decided she would ask the question herself.

When Chrissy reached the top step of the staircase, she tiptoed close to the wall until she saw Lori, pointing a gun at Steve, who only had a towel wrapped around his waist, as though he'd just come out of the shower. She felt mortified for him, especially considering the way Lori stared at him, like some type of food.

Steve caught sight of her when she was about ten feet behind Lori, and she could see the relief in his eyes when he saw her with the gun pointed directly at Lori. This was the man she loved, even if he wasn't particularly smart in his word choices sometimes. However, she knew that their relationship was going to undergo some major changes if they made it out of here alive.

Chrissy asked, "How did you know all of that stuff about Steve's bedroom? And cut the crap. I already know you never slept with him. You admitted that."

Lori half turned around to glance at Chrissy, "I'd put that gun down, honey. I'm not sure you know how to use it."

Chrissy laughed, "Believe me. I know how to use it. I wouldn't be Steve McGarrett's girlfriend if I didn't."

Lori shot back, "You're not Steve's girlfriend! You're his whore!"

Chrissy had to bite her lip to keep from laughing, "Really, Lori? You think I'm Steve's whore? I hate to break it to you, but I've never had sex with Steve, so I can't exactly be his whore."

"You're lying!"

"No, I'm not. Not that I like to broadcast it, but I was raped nine years ago. Sex isn't exactly on my list of favorite activities. Not only that, but I haven't even tried it since then."

Steve's eyes widened. He'd known Chrissy hadn't had sex since Michael raped her, but he hadn't known that she hadn't even tried. The thought intimidated him. He wasn't exactly sure what their relationship was at the moment, but if they were still together, that made him even more worried about pushing her too fast. Rape wasn't an easy thing to overcome, and victims could be easily spooked by harmless touches. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her. He loved her.

Lori taunted, "I don't believe you."

Chrissy shrugged, "Then don't believe me. I really don't care either way. The only reason I'm telling you is because it proves that Steve and I have a relationship that is based on more than just sex. I understand that you want to get into bed with him, but that isn't the way to his heart, at least not in my experience."

Lori replied, "But he doesn't want you. He wants me."

Chrissy shook her head, "That's where you're wrong, Lori. He doesn't want you. When you admitted your feelings for him a year and a half ago, he brushed it off because he didn't want to hurt your feelings, but your feelings aren't my primary concern right now. Steve loves me, Lori. He doesn't love you."

Lori fired the gun. Chrissy fired just a split second afterward. Steve tackled Lori to the ground and pulled the gun out of her hand, although the bullet that had pierced her chest had basically done her in. She'd tried to aim the gun at him as he took her down, but the bullet had taken away most of her strength and he was able to wrestle the gun away from her. Throwing the gun aside, he crawled over to Chrissy.

Lori's bullet had just grazed her arm, proving that not all federal agents were good shots. Still, it was painful, and there was some blood spilling from it. Chrissy wasn't very concerned about it. She was a little more worried that Lori was still alive and would jump back up like Glenn Close at the end of _Fatal Attraction_. A small bullet graze seemed like nothing compared to that. Steve, on the other hand, was treating her injury like a fatal gunshot wound.

Steve propped her back up with the front of his body. As he analyzed the wound, Chrissy whispered, "You might want to get dressed. The police will be here soon and I don't think they would appreciate seeing you basically naked."

Steve rolled his eyes, "I'm not naked. I have the towel. Besides, you're hurt."

Chrissy shook her head, "Steve, the bullet just grazed my arm. I'm fine. I'd be more worried about Lori."

Steve shook his head, "She's dead."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I checked her pulse and her heartbeat multiple times. By the way, where the hell did you learn to shoot like that?"

"I watched a certain Super SEAL in action."

"There's no way you could have learned to shoot from the few times you've actually seen me shoot."

"Did you forget that you taught me how to shoot a gun?"

"Not exactly, but I wouldn't call that a shooting lesson?"

"Why? Because you were practically feeling me up the whole time?"

"I wasn't _that _bad."

"Sure, and I suppose all of that hand movement around my waist was just to test my focus."

"Which you did poorly at, I might add."

"I couldn't focus on shooting a gun when you were touching me like that."

"On the other hand, you were pretty good at focusing on the touching, which is also good."

"Are you seriously coming onto me in a towel while I am bleeding on the floor and your ex-co-worker/stalker is dead on the floor less than five feet away?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Go put some clothes on while I keep a hand on my arm. I'll be fine."

"I think that's the first time I've ever been told to put my clothes on. I'm hurt."

"Shut up and put your clothes on."

An hour later, the Honolulu Police Department and Five-0 were wrapping up their investigation. All of the members of Five-0 corroborated that Lori had behaved in an obsessive manner around Steve since her return, and Catherine described her confrontation with her a few days before. Steve and Chrissy were interviewed, and Lori's death was declared self-defense. Steve had tried to convince Chrissy to let him take the blame for shooting Lori, but she wouldn't have it. She knew he was just trying to defend her, but there was nothing worse than lying to the police, especially about killing someone. Besides, Chrissy knew she'd acted in self-defense, and didn't regret it.

Chrissy was sitting on the porch steps while the paramedic finished bandaging her arm when Steve breezed out the door and sat down beside her. Sarah sat on the other side, but was still very confused as to why Mommy had a big "cut" on her arm. Steve grabbed the hand of the opposite arm and squeezed it.

Steve asked the paramedic, "How is she doing?"

The middle-aged African American woman glanced up at him and smiled, "She's fine, sir, but very lucky. If the bullet had been even half an inch to the right, it could have been a much more serious injury."

Steve inquired, "Is there anything we need to do for it?"

The paramedic nodded, "It needs to stay bandaged until the wound heals so that there won't be an infection. I would recommend just keeping it clean with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide."

"We can do that."

"Perfect. Well, I think my work here is done, so have a good evening."

"You, too,"

After the paramedic had walked away and Danny had swept Sarah away, Steve sighed, "So, what about us?"

Chrissy looked at him, "What do you mean?"

Steve replied, "I mean, what is the status of our relationship now?"

Chrissy shrugged, "I don't know. I mean, a lot has been happening over the past few weeks."

"I agree. A lot has happened."

"I just feel like everything is moving way too fast. We've been on overdrive for weeks and I'm not sure where it stops."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that we need to slow down and take it from the beginning."

"Chrissy, if I've been pushing you—"

"It's not that, Steve. I think it's just a combination of everything, your job, Lori, our relationship, Sarah. It has nothing to do with you pushing me. I'm just not sure that I'm ready for all of this."

"Look, I know my job takes up a lot of my time, and I'm trying to cut down the number of hours I spend at work. Lori's dead. I love Sarah, and most importantly, I love you. I don't want you to feel any pressure from me. If you're not ready for all of this, it's just something I have to accept."

"I'm ready for a relationship with you, Steve. I'm just not sure I'm ready for more obsessive ex-co-workers and stressful cases that involve me."

Steve laughed, a little relieved, "I can't promise you that we won't have more of those in the future, but I don't think we have to worry about any right now."

"That's a relief."

"So, where are we right now?"

"Are we dating?"

"I think so. What does dating mean to you?"

"To me, dating is two people committed to one another. What does it mean to you?"

"Basically the same. Two people who stick together through good and bad because they care about, or, in our case, love each other. A couple who is fully committed to each other, mind, body, and soul."

"Wow, that's deep. I don't think I've ever heard you talk like that."

"I think you do that to me."

"So, we're dating?"

"Yeah, but we're in the first stages, so we're just getting our feet wet at this point."

"I have a _girlfriend_. I don't think I've said that…well, ever."

"Wasn't Catherine your girlfriend?"

"I never really considered her that, I guess. I don't really know what we were. Friends with benefits, I guess. It's nothing like you and me."

"What about before Catherine? You had to have had a girlfriend before that?"

"Not really. I'd never had anything long-term before that. I was with a few girls, but those were just meaningless flings."

"So, you've never 'dated' someone."

"In my opinion, no, not really. I can't say I wasn't committed in some of those relationships because I was, but there was something else missing. I don't know if it was the fact that I met most of them through the military or what. I guess I thought a military woman would do it for me or one of those girls who waits for sailors to come to port would satisfy me. I was wrong, though. I realized that when I met you."

"You know, all I've had until I met you was a couple of college boyfriends and the rape. That is my extent of knowledge with men. I guess it's something new for both of us. We'll just have to learn, like you said the other night at Pearl Harbor."

"I love you, Chrissy. Don't ever doubt me on that again."

Chrissy kissed Steve on the lips and whispered, "Trust me, I won't, especially not after you took down a crazy stalker in only a towel."

Steve's laugh was suppressed by a second kiss from Chrissy, this one much deeper and more passionate than the first. She whispered, "You won't doubt me, either, will you?"

Steve shook his head, "No."

Chrissy looked down, "Are you still mad at me about kissing Danny?"

Once Steve realized she felt guilty about kissing his best friend, he knew he could use it to his advantage. He replied, "Yeah, a little."

Chrissy kissed him again. "I'll make it up to you. I promise."

Steve nodded, "If this is the way you're planning on making it up to me, I like your way of thinking."

"It is."

"Good."

"By the way, kissing Danny was not a fun experience."

"Oh? Why not? You two looked like you were having quite a time the other night."

"It was all acting. If Danny did enjoy it, he was the only one."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Kissing him felt like kissing my brother. It just wasn't right."

Steve smiled, "Good to know."

Chrissy leaned close to his ear, so close he could feel her breath on his ear. "For the record, you are a much better kisser."

Steve couldn't resist the invitation in her voice. "Prove it."

**That's all for now, readers. In a couple of days, be sure to check out my follow-up short story to "Words," "Choices." In it, Chrissy will face some major decisions that could seriously impact her relationship with Steve and the rest of her life. Thanks for all the feedback, and hope to see you again soon!**


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